Kerry Mitchell's Nursery in a Garden

Ajania pacifica.

H:to 60cm x W:60cm. Part/full sun. Tough perennial from Japan through to Siberia so very cold tolerant. Attractive leaves edged with cream. Heads of yellow flowers on tall stems in summer.

Anemone altaica

Very similar to nemorosa but I find it easier. White flowers with eight to twelve petals which are veined with violet or blue on the inside. Woodland fringes. Seldom seen in cultivation but not difficult.

Dicentra white

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Drimopsis maculata

H:20cm x W:20cm. Part/dappled shade. Great little woodland bulb. Dies back in autumn & emerges with leaves spotted with maroon in spring. Looks great en masse underneath deciduous trees & underplanted with spring bulbs for multi-season interest.

Geranium cantabrigense 'Bikova'

H:20-30cm x W:30-40cm. Full sun recommended, but does well for me in part shade.  Pale pink flowers spring & summer. Frost hardy.

Geranium sanguineum

H:30-40cm x W:30-40cm. Makes pretty mounds of lacey foliage. Large papery magenta flowers over a long period. Frost hardy. One of my favourites.

Hosta abiqua 'Ariel'

H:45cm x W:to 1m. Large yellowish leaves with a dusty blush & moderate corrugation. Palest mauve flowers.

Hosta 'Blue Skies'

H:20-30cm x W: 40cm. Part to full shade. Heart-shaped, smooth, blue-green leaves. Lavender flowers in summer.

Hosta 'Dew Drop'

H:20cm x W:20cm. Part to full shade. Compact growth making it a good edging plant. Small heart-shaped blue-green leaves edged with white. 

Hosta 'Gold Drop'

A smaller growing hosta that likes a bit of sun to keep the leaves golden. Ovate leaves with a slightly wavy edge. Lilac flowers in summer.

Hosta 'Silver Crown'

H:60-80cm x W:80-100cm. part/full shade. Pretty variegated leaves with pointed tips & wavy edges. Lavender flowers on tall stems in summer.

Hosta 'Twilight'

H:60-80cm x W:to 1m. Part to full shade. Spectacular variegated hosta that is reported to have good slug & snail resistance. Large heads of mauve flowers on tall stems in summer. 

Hydrophyllum virginianum

H:30-60cm x W:30-60cm.

Best grown in consistently moist, well-drained soils in light shade. Strong grower. Tolerates boggy soil. Stems of small white flowers Nov-Dec. Frost hardy.

Lobelia tupa

H:2m. Semi shade to full sun. Bold architectural plant with erect stems & bold grey-green leaves to 20cm long. In late summer to autumn 40cm spikes of spectacular deep red flowers are produced. Frost hardy to about -10C.

Rudbeckia laciniata

H:1-2.5m x W:1m. American prairie plant so a sun is best. A sunflower-like perennial with attractive deeply dissected leaves & tall, branching, leafy flowering stalks in summer. The 70-100mm yellow flowers are cone-shaped with greenish-yellow centres & tilted back petals. Very cold hardy.

Silene dioica

H:30-40cm x W:30-40cm. Found growing on the edge of woodlands so likes semi-shade. Makes a rounded clump of fleshy leaves unbothered by snails or slugs. Pinky-red flowers on120mm stems. Frost hardy.

Silene dioica 'Ray's Golden Campion'

H:30-40cm x W:30-40cm. Just as easy as the species but flowers are a lighter pink. Flowers over a very long period on contrasting dark stems above compact clumps of shining, bright, lemon-gold foliage. Frost hardy.

Silene uniflora 'Compacta'

H:10cm x W:50cm. Full sun. Lovely compact form with grey green leaves. White flowers in summer. Totally frost hardy.

Stachys officionalis

(Betony) H:60cm x W:60cm. Scalloped oblong leaves & dense terminal spikes of 2-lipped reddish-purple flowers in summer & early autumn. Frost hardy.

Teucrium chamaedrys

H:10cm x W:30cm. Part/full sun. Great litllte groundcover that spreads slowly. Great to grow underplanted with small spring flowering bulbs like freesia. Short spikes of mauve flowers in summer. 

Teucrium hircanicum

H:60cm x W:60cm.A native of Iran, this is very tough, and beautiful. 20cm spikes of deep pink/magenta flowers that gradually open above the foliage. Frost hardy.

Teucrium scorodonia

H:30-40cm x W:1m in 3 years. Tough groundcover for part sun/shade. Wrinkled leaves have a frilly edge. 5-10cm heads of cream to green flowers. Frost hardy.

Veronica incana ssp incana

H: to 50cm x W:60cm. Part/full sun. My favourite veronica! My original plant came from the Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Silvery leaves and pale mauve flowers on 100mm spikes. Frost hardy.

Veronica spicata

H:to 70cm x 70cm. Part/full sun. Tough old-fashioned perennial with stems of dark violet flowers. Frost hardy.